“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” – Matthew 7:26–27
There’s as much wisdom to glean from what is foolish as there is from what is wise. We must endeavour to avoid the traits of the foolish and desire to learn from and exhibit the characteristics of the wise.The parable teaches us that given the best materials, there are still consequences arising from where we choose to build. What we decide to build on counts. This lesson is applicable in all life’s endeavours; that though you may have an excellent education, a wide network of friends or some other leverage, building wrongly will lead to a wasted investment on the day of testing.
The foolish builder in the passage chose to build on the sand. What does that say about the attributes of a foolish builder?
• He is influenced by surface appearances. The foolish man is described as one who is taken in by appearances. He does not take time to go beyond the surface.
These are people who are always impressed by the superficial. They spend so much on the outward impression, but very little on internal strength. Unfortunately, they get to impress others who are like themselves.
• He settles on shifting grounds. Sand shifts. Sand moves. Sand is a weak foundation for building your life, marriage, company, or nation. There is nothing firm in a life built on the sand. One moment, they are going right; the next moment, they are going left.
There’s no conviction, and there’s no faith. Their life is all about what is easy and convenient. If it’s convenient for them to steal, they steal. If it’s convenient for them to lie, they lie. If it’s convenient for them to betray their friends, they betray them. Their ground shifts according to which wind is blowing.
• He builds for short-term success. The foolish builder is preoccupied with the victories of the here and now. They seek applause for the accomplishments of today and not how what they’ve built will look like over time.
They fail to exert the needed effort to analyze and build an enduring structure. The reality is that when weak foundations are tested, they fail. Time is required to build anything that lasts. Considering the pain and regret that results from building a marriage, business or career only to watch it collapse because of a weak foundation, it is worth the effort to build for the long-term and not the short-term.
Ensure that your foundations are right so you can endure adversity when it comes because it will come.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, help me to be a hearer and doer of Your word. Enable me to build things that endure. In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Scripture Reading: Matthew 7:24-29
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